Kevin Blackwell was responsible for describing Elland Road as "one of football's cathedrals", but it is one of his successors who will attempt to answer the prayers of the Football League's most faithful congregation tonight.
Stretched at the seams by a crowd of 38,256 nine days ago, Leeds United's stadium will be besieged again this evening by the loyalty and faith which led Blackwell to draw comparisons with a church.
Two years ago, he fell narrowly short of the crow
d's expectations.
Tonight, Gary McAllister will seek safe passage over the first of three obstacles which stand between him, his club and the city they represent and the outcome which ultimately eluded Blackwell.
Bitten by the events of 2006, when promotion to the Premier League passed Leeds by, the supporters who arrive en masse at Elland Road will shy away from the temptation to stare into the distance and imagine what a day at Wembley might bring on May 25.
The League One play-offs are finally upon Leeds, arriving with all the attention and gravitas that McAllister – a man who never played in the Football League's post-season fixtures – could have imagined, but he has unrivalled strength in his corner for the first leg of the club's semi-final against Carlisle United this evening.
The attendance for Leeds' 2-1 victory over Gillingham last weekend was this season's record crowd in the Football League, and that figure may be broken again by Carlisle's second visit to Yorkshire in the space of a month.
The Gillingham match, McAllister believes, was a useful "dress-rehearsal" for the riotous atmosphere which is certain to greet both teams when they bring the talking to an end by walking from the tunnel tonight.
John Ward is equally convinced that the game between the clubs at Elland Road on April 12, when more than 28,000 spectators were present inside the stadium, will help to control the nerves of his Carlisle players, but an increase of 10,000 could be seen for the start of the semi-final. Neither manager would dare to describe the crowd as irrelevant.
"It rocks you back on your heels when you see those sorts of numbers," said McAllister.
"I've been at Elland Road as a fan watching Leeds through their Champions League nights, and the Gillingham match reminded me of that. It's a special arena when it's full.
"The fans are very vocal and they want it as much as the players. They're like the 12th and 13th man. Sometimes a big crowd can affect you in the wrong way – it's just about being able to use it to your advantage.
"But we've got to feed them rather than them feeding us. It's not a case of us going out there and expecting the crowd to take us over the line. We've got to get on top of our opponents and give the fans something to shout about.
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